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The older brother of Bill Monroe, Charlie joined his younger brother in laying the foundation for bluegrass music. Although they only recorded together for two years, the ripples caused by Charlie and Bill Monroe's collaboration continue to be felt. Raised on a family farm in rural Kentucky, Charlie grew up in a musical home. After learning to sing hymns as children, via the traditional "sacred note" technique, each member of the Monroe family chose a musical instrument. Charlie and his sister Bertha chose guitar, while Birch opted for fiddle and Bill for the mandolin. Although Charlie joined with Birch and Bill to form a band in the mid-1920s, and made his radio debut in 1927, he left with Birch to seek employment in the Midwest after the death of their parents. After temporarily stopping in Detroit, Charlie and Birch went on to work in the oil refineries of Hammond, Whiting, and East Chicago, IN. In 1929, they were joined by Bill, who found a job at a Sinclair refinery. The thr...